As dual mode voice/data devices emerge, there is a need to provide security to voice calls over the data interface that is similar to the security provided to voice calls over the voice interface. In conventional wireless internet protocol (“IP”) communications, security is typically multi layered. The wireless air interface is protected as per the IEEE 802.11i specification and end-to-end security can be provided using IPSec.
One particular problem with conventional dual mode devices is that implementations of the supplicant module on such devices, which provides for encryption and decryption of data over the wireless link between the dual mode device and the data network access point (“AP”), are integrated with the WIFI management functionality on the dual mode device. This integrated approach has created a need in the market for a dual mode device with a voice over IP (“VoIP”) solution that is more flexible and can employ the various modules provided by different software vendors that develop the critical modules required for IEEE 802.11i security.